Several months ago, shortly after the onset of the current COVID pandemic, I wrote an article, originally intended for my family, which was eventually published in this journal. My focus then was on adjusting to “tefilah b’yichidus,” private tefilos in our home, rather than davening with a minyan in shul. (See the Nissan issue of WWW).

Our reintegration to shuls has come in stages. For what seemed like an eternity, many of us davened in outdoor minyanim, sometimes under the blazing sun, drizzling rain, or chilly weather, often too early for some or too late for others. Since then, our community, like many others, has been struggling with reopening – and keeping open – our shuls and schools. Virtually all shuls locally are mandating proper face coverings throughout the tefilah. Most provide masks and sanitizer at the entrance to the shul for those who need them.

It was Sunday night, March 15, when a close family friend returned my call regarding a business-related matter. She sounded terrible. I assumed that she, like many of us, was scared of the virus: the injury and damage it has already wrought as well as the unknown potential effects, chas veshalom, that may loom ahead, Hashem Yishmor.

I was wrong. She had full faith in the Ribono shel Olam (G-d) – that only He was in charge and knew exactly what He was doing. Hashem would only do, or allow happen, what is best for His people. So why was she so depressed? The news of  the shul closures in Baltimore had just been released. The men in her family at home, her husband and 16-year-old son, would not be able to daven with a minyan. In particular, the thought that her son, who had developed an unswerving desire and love for tefilah b’tzibur, rarely if ever missing a minyan, would not be able to daven with his friends in yeshiva or his father in shul, was extremely distressing. I tried to “comfort” her with words I cannot even now remember. We talked it through for a few minutes. I think she felt better. But I felt worse.